Wire-lapping tool



(No Model.) w

P. W. KOBLE'NTZ WIRE LAPPING TOOL. No. 374,191. Patented De0.'6, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR' k f mam pickets between the laps.

UNITED STATES FREDRIOK \V. KOBLENTZ,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

WIRE-LAPPING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,191, dated December 6, 1887.

Application filed May 19, 1887. Serial No. 238,729. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRIOK W. KOB- LENTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVire-Lapping Tools, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to tools for lapping fence-wires round the panels or pickets of fences in the construction of that class of fences in which wires in pairs are stretched from post to post and pickets are held between the wires of the pairs.

The invention consists, essentially, of two bars pivotally connected together and having each a projecting finger constructed to engage a wire, and also having each an arm upon which a lever is mounted, the said levers being connected with the arm by a link, whereby, upon operating the levers, the bars are partially rotated and the fingers made to cross each back and forth after the manner of scissors-blades, and consequently to lap the wires of each pair across each other, binding the In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like ret'erenceletters indicate corresponding features, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of myimproved wire-lapping tool with the levers removed; Fig. 2, a plan view of the tool with the fingers standing apart; Fig. 3, a like View, savethat the fingers are lapped, and a pair of wires is shown under operation with several pickets woven between them, the gage being removed; and Fig. 4, a sectional View showing the manner of securing the fingers.

The letter A designates the bars of the tool, which may be of wood or metal and solid or hollow, as may be desired. These bars are slightly longer than the distance between the upper and the lower pair of fence-wires, and they are pivotally connected together by any approved joint-by eyebolts B in the present instance. Secured to the bars are the arms O, to which are pivoted levers D and links or pitmen E. Each lever is pivotal] y connected with the link of the opposite arm, by which arrangement the arms are brought toward and moved from each other by operating the levers back and forth, by which movement the bars are oscillated on their pivotal connections and the fingers made to move toward and across each other and away from one another after the manner of scissorsblades. These fingers consist of thin metallic plates F, secured at one end to the respective bars A andprovided at the other end with overlapping hooks G, between which the wires of the respective pairs of wires are slipped and by which they are held during the overlapping operation. The fingers 'are secured to the bars A in any desired manner, as by means of bolts, or, as illustratedin Fig. 4, by abolt whose head is removed and whose shank is welded to thefinger. The position of the fingers of each set is such that they readily pass by each other, and the hooks Gofone fingerarc turned downward, while those of the adjacent finger are turned upward.

The manner of using the tool is clearly suggested in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in which figurea pair of wires is shown, the ends H being presumably extended and secured to a post, while the ends I presumably lead ofi to the reel or other supply. Two pickets are shown as interwoven in the wires, and the third picket-space, J, is also shown, into which a third picket is to be dropped when the fingers are moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby this picket will become entirely surrounded by the wires, as are the pickets shown.

There are to be as many sets of fingers as there are strands of wires to the fence, it being understood that each pair of wires composes a fence-strand. Of course, when the pickets are very heavy, or when, for any other cause, it is desired to make the strands stronger, as many separate wires may be included in the strands as the occasion may require.

In order to keep all the pickets level at the top, I provide the tool with a gage, which engages the upper ends thereof and serves as a guide by which to determine their altitude, and this gage in the present instance consists of an arm, L, and a link, M, pivoted to the respective bars A and slidingly connected to each other, as by a pin and slot, a, whereby the arm L keeps a central position and serves -as a gage by which to set the pickets.

O is a latch having a hole which fits over a pin, P, on one of the pitmen to hold the parts in convenient position when being carried about.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wire-overlapping tool, the combina tion, with sets of wire-engaging fingers and bars pivotally connected together, and to which the respective fingers of said sets are respectively connected, of suitable means to oscillate the bars and cause the fingers to move across each other.

2. In a wire-overlapping tool, the combination, withseveral sets of wire-engagin g fingers, each set being composed of two fingers and bars pivotally connected together, and to which the respective fingers of said sets are respectively connected, of arms also securedto the bars, and levers pivoted upon the respective arms and connected to the opposite arms.

3. In awire-overlapping tool, the combination, with several sets of fingers, each finger having wire-engaging hooks at one-end, and bars to which the respective fingers are respectively connected, eycboits by which the bars are pivotally connected to each other, of arms secured to the bars, a lever pivoted to each arm, and links which connect the respective levers to the respective arms.

4. In a wire-overlapping tool, the combination, with sets of wire-engaging fingers and bars pivotally connected together, and to which the respective fingers of said sets are respectively connected, of a picket'gage and means to oscillate the bars and cause the fingers to move across each other.

5. In a wire overlapping tool, the combination of bars pivotally connected together, an arm pivoted to one of the bars, and a link pivoted to the other bar and slidingly connected with the arm, whereby a gage is 0011- stituted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRIGK W. KOBLENTZ.

\Vitnesses:

WILBER OoLvIN, A. A. YEATMAN. 

